


Melody

by CordeliaRose



Series: Music series [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M, fem!merlin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-09
Updated: 2015-09-06
Packaged: 2018-02-20 13:02:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2429798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CordeliaRose/pseuds/CordeliaRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Harmony. Fem!Merlin. Merlin and Percival are now married, and since the affair with the visiting nobles, have had a fairly quiet time. However, as we all know, nothing in the Merlin world stays normal for long, and soon more troubles arise. Both of them are desperate to protect each other, but will they both survive?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Merlin's finger twitched once, then twice, as she slowly stirred from sleep. She didn't open her eyes, but traced her hand along the bed to find her husband. Or, as soon became apparent, lack thereof.

Now Merlin opened one eye, and scanned the room. There was no sign of Percival anywhere. The other eye opened, and she sat up in bed, tucking the covers around her to preserve her warmth.

"Percival?" she called, her voice echoing back to her in their stone chambers. Merlin sighed. _Training_ , she thought, although she still hadn't managed to work out what in the Old Religion's name had possessed Arthur to plan early-morning training sessions in these harsh, bitter winter months.

Grumbling, Merlin unwrapped herself from the cocoon of blankets she had formed and hopped onto the tile floor. The solid wave of cold that hit her feet rose up and up, throughout her entire body. "I hate you, Arthur," she moaned, plodding over to the tin bath. "Onhǽte þá wæter," she muttered, waving her hand over the tub that her maid had filled earlier that morning, turning the water hot once more.

Moving behind the screen to change and hang up her nightclothes so they wouldn't become creased, Merlin clicked her fingers to secure the bolt on the door.

The hot water was, at first, an unpleasant jolt to her cold body, and felt more like it was burning than anything else. Regardless, Merlin sank into the water up to her neck, knowing that soon her body would adjust and the temperature would become blissful.

Just as she had relaxed into the steaming water, there was a curt, polite knock at the door. Merlin closed her eyes for a moment in mild annoyance and then called out, "Yes?"

"My lady," came the voice through the door, "the King requests your presence in the Great Hall."

"Oh, bloody hell, Arthur," Merlin muttered, then raised her voice to query, "when does he need me?"

"He says urgently, ma'am; as soon as it is possible for you to attend."

"Thank you. Tell him I will do so," Merlin sighed and flicked a bit of water lazily. So much for her relaxing bath.

LINE BREAK

Merlin hurried down the spiralling stairs that lead from her chamber to the main corridor. It had only taken her five minutes to get ready with the aid of her magic, and she was dressed in a deep purple gown that complimented her alabaster skin and ebony hair – one that Percival had bought her shortly after their wedding.

As she approached the Great Hall, her heart began to beat faster. She loved emergency council meetings – it sounded odd but it gave her the rush of adrenaline that came with anticipation. There was something urgent happening and she couldn't wait to find out what.

The doors were closed but as she neared the guards nodded politely and heaved the doors open for her. "Thank you," Merlin said appreciatively, and entered the Great Hall. There were a few gathered around the Round Table – the first person she noticed was Percival, who smiled at her, a grin that was never used for anyone else but her. She beamed back, and then nodded towards Arthur, approaching the chair next to Percival.

Arthur waited until she was seated, and then cleared his throat. Around the table were Gwaine, Leon, Elyan and Gwen, all of them looking tense and worried. Merlin reached for Percival's hand under the table, noticing how his shoulders were stiff and he was sitting very straight against the back of his seat.

He squeezed her hand when she took it, and glanced sideways at her. There was the same love and affection in them that was omnipresent when he looked at her, but looking deeper, Merlin sensed a great deal of anxiety. They obviously all knew the gist of what was going on then.

"As you know," Arthur began, "we have a problem with the Saxons once more."

Merlin understood why everyone was so uneasy now – upon hearing the words, she also felt a little restless. Over the past seven months or so, the Saxons had given them nothing but anguish. They had pillaged several small villages on the outskirts of Camelot and attacked patrols in the woods. So far, there had been nothing drastic done, but Merlin had a feeling that whatever Arthur was about to say might be.

"There is another group approaching the borders of Camelot." Arthur took in a deep breath and glanced around at the solemn faces around the table. "They are much larger than any other so far, the patrols tell me. There are at least fifty or sixty of them."

Merlin rubbed her forehead with her free hand. The groups that had been trouble-making so far had been smaller, far smaller, with fifteen or twenty Saxons at the most. They were not trained strategically like Camelot's soldiers, but were ruthless enough to make up for that lack of training. They hacked at anything with axes and stones, causing severe injuries. A small group were moderately easy to defeat, but a larger group would be difficult.

"They have yet to breach the borders, but we have sent out clear warnings in the past: if they breach the borders, then we will have to attack. The warnings have been circulating for long enough and they will know of them. It will not be an unfair attack." Arthur paused, pinching the bridge of his nose as he always did when stressed. "However, that could lead to a war. We know that they have their own area of Britain and there are thousands of them. The Saxons have tolerated the killings of a few so far, but they may not be so accepting if we kill such a large group."

Merlin felt a weight sink down to her stomach: a war was something that Camelot could not afford right now, and something that was not a great prospect if it was against the Saxons. "We have allies, Arthur," she pointed out, her leg starting to jump up and down uneasily. "Mithian and Annis at the very least will support you in a war."

"I have already asked them for assistance should it come down to it," Arthur replied, ruffling his hair messily. "They have both agreed but warned that even with the three of our forces combined, it is likely that the Saxons have more."

"They're not trained," Gwaine chipped in. "We have far more powerful weapons than they, and we can prepare for a siege as soon as the threat rises."

"I know, Gwaine," Arthur sighed. "But it would take a massive drain on Camelot's resources and frankly, after all that had happened recently, we cannot afford it."

Nobody had any more suggestions, everyone's faces lined and tense. Arthur pinched his nose again. "Council dismissed."

The chairs scraping against the tile floor as everybody stood. "It'll be fine," Percival murmured to Merlin, seeing her anxious expression, as they began to walk away.

"I don't think it will," Merlin replied agitatedly, rubbing her fingers against Percival's hand. She glanced behind her and saw Arthur slumped in his chair, and Gwen standing behind him with her hands on his shoulders. "I hope so, though."

 


	2. Chapter 2

"They're dangerous, Perc, you know that," Merlin grumbled, slamming the door behind her. She stomped into the room and threw herself onto the bed. Percival smiled at his wife's temper and kneeled down beside her so their heads were level.

Merlin turned her head and met her husband' steady gaze. "Sorry," she said softly. "I shouldn't take it out on you."

Percival chuckled. "You weren't, Merlin, don't worry." He stood and took a few strides around the bed, and then flopped down next to her. "We're all strung out about it."

Merlin shuffled sideways and laid her head on Percival's chest. "I just wish things would be peaceful for longer than two months."

"I know," Percival murmured, stroking her ebony hair softly, pulling it out of the braid she had done it in for the council meeting. She had plaited it when it was still damp, and now it was wavy, fanning over the pillow in a cascade of curls. "You're so beautiful."

Merlin giggled. She felt pleasantly drowsy now, tired from stress, even though it was not yet noon, but Percival had relaxed her. "Are you going to go out and fight the Saxons?" she whispered.

Percival sighed. "Can't you stop thinking about it, for now at least?" His wife worried too much, and that worried him.

Merlin shook her head. "It's not going to leave my mind," she replied. "You know what happened last time there was a large group of them."

Percival shuddered. Their own men, although they outnumbered the Saxons by at least twenty, had been slaughtered mercilessly. "Yeah, but that was on their ground, and it was unexpected," he comforted. "We'd be prepared this time."

"It could be you," Merlin pointed out, her hand clenching around Percival's shirt. She sighed: that was what was really troubling her about the situation.

"It won't be," Percival calmed. "I'm a brilliant fighter, you know that. No Saxon's going to get me!"

Merlin laughed, feeling a little comforted by his words. "I know. You'll be fine?"

"Of course I will!" Percival reassured. He was glad Merlin was resting on his chest: if she was face to face, she would have seen the worry on his. Truth be told, he had no idea who would be successful if it came down to a war between Camelot and the Saxons. "I need to get down to training," he added, noticing the position of the sun in the sky.

"I'll come with you," Merlin offered, raising her head to look at Percival. He raised his eyebrows. "I'd like some fresh air."

"Come on then," Percival agreed suspiciously. He had a feeling that Merlin had an ulterior motive, but he couldn't prove anything. He would have to let her play out whatever she wanted to find out; and usually what she did turned out well in the end, anyway.

Percival rolled off the bed and proffered his hand to Merlin, who gladly accepted and slithered off the bed. Percival rolled his eyes: her dress was crumpled and her hair had become messy.

"What?" Merlin asked, catching sight of her husband's eye-roll.

"You look…" Percival's cheeks turned pink. "As if…well, you know."

Merlin's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. She honestly had no clue what Percival was thinking of. "As if what? We were just lying on the bed together."

"Exactly," Percival muttered. "People might think that…we weren't just lying there."

Merlin laughed. "You're blushing!" she exclaimed. "You've gone bright red."

"It's a sensitive topic!" Percival defended, hurrying to the door. Before he could escape from his wife's taunts, Merlin darted in front of him and leant against the oaken exit.

"Why? We've done it enough times," Merlin pointed out, watching as the tips of Percival's ears grew red to match his face.

Percival's throat constricted as he swallowed but he said nothing: instead he just stared at his wife, looking quite obviously embarrassed.

"I'd try and relax, Perc," Merlin winked. "If your face is bright red that's just going to reinforce everyone's beliefs."

Percival grabbed her wrists and moved her away from the door easily, striding out, still flushed scarlet. Merlin ran after him, shutting the door to their chambers, determined to embarrass her husband further.

LINE BREAK

Arthur glanced up when he had shouts coming from the other side of the training field. All of the knights had arrived by now except for Percival. He squinted, the sun behind the two figures approaching, and realised that it was in fact Percival – and Merlin.

Merlin was laughing, and Percival looked annoyed, but the way he looked at Merlin was still full of love, even through the irritation. Arthur sighed. He and Gwen hadn't looked at each other like that for a long time – they still loved each other, he knew that, but they had been too stressed of late.

Merlin was, in vain, attempting to ruffle Percival's hair; he was at least a head over her, and so far she wasn't having any success. Percival was walking ahead steadily, ignoring his wife's feeble efforts, while Merlin ran to keep up and leapt at random moments. Arthur smiled: he was glad they could relax in times such as these.

As they approached, their conversation became faintly audible. Percival was complaining about Merlin trying to mess up his hair, and Merlin was laughing and saying something about "Everybody does it!" Arthur decided to let them be.

"Arthur!" Merlin cried joyously. She skipped over and slammed the King on the back, and as always, Arthur was astonished at the strength her tiny, skinny frame held. "I came to watch training!"

"Why?" Arthur asked suspiciously. He exchanged glances with Percival, who wore the same expression as him.

"No reason!" Merlin exclaimed brightly. In Arthur's experience, having been served by Merlin for several years now, when she was as happy as she was now she was hiding something.

LINE BREAK

It was a warm day and the training knights were all sweating. Percival was duelling with Gwaine, and most of his concentration was on blocking his swipes. A small amount was focused on Merlin, who was wandering around the training field, looking as innocent as a new-born babe. _What's she up to?_

Gwaine took advantage of his lapse in concentration and managed to catch Percival on the arm lightly. Percival jumped, startled, and glanced down at his left forearm. It wasn't a serious laceration, but it was bleeding slightly.

"Next time," Gwaine grinned in his pleasant Irish brogue, "stop staring at Merlin."

Percival grunted in reply: he never had much to say around his friends, he didn't _know_ what to say. Conversation came easier with Merlin.

Percival glanced over to Merlin again, ignoring the light stinging in his arm. She was still strolling around the field, but Percival was sure her eyes flashed gold. It could have been the sun, he reasoned, but he was sure Merlin was making some sort of plot.

He resolved to ask her about it later and ambled towards the medical tent that was always set up. He caught Merlin's eye along the way and smiled, gesturing towards the cut on his arm when she raised her eyebrows. She frowned and came skipping over.

"How did you get that?" she asked in concern, a crease between her eyebrows, down her glabella.

"Too busy admiring you to pay attention," Percival replied truthfully. Merlin flushed slightly in gratitude and examined the cut. They drew to a halt a few paces from the medical tent.

"Not too bad," she concluded. "I would heal it, but Gwaine might be a bit suspicious if it suddenly disappears."

"I'll go and get it cleaned." Percival leant down and kissed Merlin quickly. "Meet you back in our chambers in about an hour or so?"

Merlin nodded, and then wandered off again, this time heading towards the rack of swords. This time, her eyes definitely did flash gold. Percival shook his head and ducked into the medical tent.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Merlin had spent a good three hours now on the training field, wandering around and testing various weapons and knights. She didn't want anyone, not even Percival, to find out what she was doing, because she wasn't sure whether it would aid anyone yet. She had been earning suspicious glances from Arthur, and pretty much everyone, but she didn't mind. Nobody had said anything to her so far, so she considered that safe.

The sun was scalding today, sitting in a cloudless sky, and it beat down mercilessly on everyone's backs. She felt sympathy for the training knights, who were kitted out in full chainmail and leather, wielding swords high above their heads and jogging to warm up their limbs. She had chosen well for the day, a light dress with no underdress, and she had plaited her hair at some point out of the field, relieving her neck from the heavy weight.

She decided to head back inside: she was exhausted from the heat and judging from where the sun was sitting in the sky, it was fast approaching evening. Arthur usually ran his training sessions late into the day, and Merlin could see that Arthur was starting to become tired.

She slipped away inconspicuously; she didn't want any questions now. She just wanted to get back to Percival and relax a little. The magic she had been using had been gruelling and strenuous, and she just wanted to have a bath and go to bed with Percival. Luckily, her chambers were only on the second floor so she didn't have too much of a distance to travel.

She stomped through the castle grounds to the courtyard. She wasn't angry, but when she was distracted with her own thoughts she often trod heavily. It was a habit that she had possessed since she was very young and had never been able to dispose of completely, and one that she detested, but Percival had mentioned to her before that he thought it was adorable.

Now that she came to think about it, Percival cherished many of her habits that she despised. She paused halfway up the steps, momentarily side-tracked from her main stream of thought. She loved all of his habits that he detested, too. Was that how love worked? She thought of Arthur and Gwen. Maybe not for everyone. She knew for a fact that both of them hated how Arthur couldn't wake up properly in the early morning.

Merlin carried on up the stone steps, her footfalls reverberating loudly in the solemn, quiet courtyard. Most of the servants were inside, unwilling to venture out into such heat – and the same went for the nobles who dwelled in the castle. She enjoyed the peace, used to the bustle of the everyday scurrying of servants and dallying of nobles who had nothing to do.

The castle doors were open, a fact for which Merlin was glad. They were heavy and for her skinny frame, required a level of strength that she didn't have. She headed inside and breathed a sigh of relief; the air inside was cool, unlike the heat outside which was still and stagnant, and she let the breeze chill the sheen of sweat on her skin.

The castle's corridors were deserted: most servants would be in their employer's rooms. From Merlin's experience of nobles, they became lazy during heat and would stay in one place for the entire day, wanting to be waited on hand and foot. She was glad for the space in the oppressive heat, and with a quick glance around to make sure that she really was alone, hitched her dress up to her knees. The lower halves of her legs were practically drenched in sweat and she was relieved when she was finally outside the chambers she shared with Percival.

She was surprised to find the doors locked when she pushed against the oaken panels, so she rapped the door smartly and called, "Percival? It's me." There was a strange sloshing noise from inside, like water being poured into a goblet but magnified.

"Come in," he replied. Merlin frowned. How was she meant to? It was locked, presumably with the bolt that they rarely used. As if he could read her thoughts like words scripted on a page, he called out to her again, "Use your magic."

Merlin's eyes widened in disbelief. She gave a quick glance up and down the corridor to make absolute certain that nobody was around, and then her eyes ignited golden and the bolt slid back in place. "Percival!" she hissed as she stepped inside and slammed the door behind her, her back to the room. "What if someone had heard you?"

"There's nobody there – there never is in this type of weather," Percival pointed out lazily. Merlin spun around, angry at his nonchalance. Her glare faltered as she realised he was in the bath.

"That's not fair," she hissed, pointing at him accusingly. "Don't use your nudity to make me happy."

Percival spread his arms. He was in the tin bath tub that they both used, which was about twice the size of an average person, and looked completely relaxed in the steaming water. "I didn't know you were going to come in now."

Merlin had to admit that he had no way of knowing when she was going to return, but she wasn't going to admit that to him. "How can you stand the water being that hot in this weather?" she asked incredulously. That reminded her of her own heat and she unlaced her dress at the back, loosening the material.

Percival raised his eyebrows. "It's actually pleasant. It's calming, not smothering. And it gets all of the sweat off."

"You have a point," Merlin grumbled, kicking her shoes off. Even her feet were caked in perspiration. "I could do with a bath myself."

"Come join me then," Percival offered. It was Merlin's turn to raise her eyebrows. "This bathtub can fit the both of us." Merlin grinned and undid her dress at the back. Her eyes glowed gold as the bolt slid back across to lock the room.

LINE BREAK

"You never really talk about your family," Merlin said sleepily as she emerged from behind the dressing screen. She supposed it was odd really, that she was too self-conscious to undress in front of her husband, considering what they just did in the bath together. She grabbed a brush from the table and sat on the edge of their four-poster bed.

Percival was already in bed, lounging against the pillows, the sheets stripped down to his waist and his torso bare. He glanced across at his wife and smiled gently. He sat up and moved behind his wife, crossing his legs. "Give me that," he said quietly, accepting the brush from Merlin.

His long, surprisingly graceful fingers undid her braid quickly and gently and he began to brush out her ebony hair. "I never really talk about them because nobody asks, and also I don't really think there's much to say."

Merlin nodded, careful to not be too violent in her movements so Percival could continue. "I never asked before because I didn't want to upset you," she replied, closing her eyes as Percival combed the tangles from her hairs.

She heard Percival chuckle lowly. "I don't think I'd be too upset. It was a long time ago."

"I still get upset about Balinor," Merlin winced as the brush snagged on a knot. Percival apologised gently and was gentler as he replied.

"You never knew him though…I knew my family and loved them, so I have many good memories of them to remember. You have more bad than good, so it's harder for you."

"I suppose…could you talk about them?" Merlin asked hesitantly. "It's just that I want to know more about you and I like hearing happy stories about families."

Percival handed her the brush back, satisfied with his work. Merlin laid it down on the table beside her bed and smiled when Percival wrapped his hands around her waist, kissing her hair. "Of course I can," he murmured close to her ear.

Merlin let Percival guide her into a comfortable position, cocooned by his body. "What were your parents like?"

Percival sighed happily, his breath fluttering her hair. "My mother passed when I was seven," he began. "So my father raised me and my siblings. There were six of us: four boys and two girls. He was brilliant, he was the kindest man you could meet and he always provided for us. He trained all of us how to defend ourselves and how to be good, kind people. When we reached our mid-years, we began to work as well. My eldest sister became a clothes-mender and my two older brothers gained apprenticeships as blacksmiths.

"The only thing I was good at was handling a sword, so I managed to find work as an assistant to the local weapons' master."

"How old were you?" Merlin queried.

"Fourteen summers," Percival replied. He sighed again. "Our village was peaceful, until Morgause became powerful. I was around eighteen summers old. She began to control our village, taking crops from us, executing anyone who she didn't like…my father was one of those.

"At that point we were all working, so we could provide for ourselves, but we were living in constant fear. Then, one day, when I was around twenty summers, when Morgana had joined forces with her, she ransacked the village during the night." Merlin heard Percival swallow and his breathing hitched. She squeezed his arm softly. "She set fires everywhere…there wasn't any hope. I only escaped because I wasn't in my house at the time…but all my brothers and sisters…"

"What were their names?" Merlin asked softly. She sensed that Percival was close to his breaking point, something she'd only seen once before on their wedding night.

Percival cleared his throat and kissed her forehead. "Rose and Lily, they were twenty seven summers and thirteen summers…Rob, he was twenty three summers, Balin, he was nineteen summers, and Simon was fifteen summers."

"It wasn't fair," Merlin said softly. Knowing the names of Percival's perished siblings had affected her greater than she thought it would. She knew it would be difficult, but not this difficult to deal with. She could only imagine the torment that Percival must have gone through.

They fell asleep cradled in each other's arms, warm and safe from any harm.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Merlin woke up and stretched lazily. It was fairly early in the morning, and Percival was still asleep. She watched her husband sleep, watched the way his eyes flickered and his lips quirked up or down. They were both naked and she shivered slightly in the cold of the morning, tucking the covers around her more. This action woke Percival up and he blinked hazily, staring up at the covers on their four-poster bed for a few seconds. He turned to Merlin and smiled slowly, muttering a quick “good morning.”

“Morning,” Merlin replied, rolling over until she was curled up next to him. She buried her nose in his shoulder. “Cold.” Percival radiated heat like the sun, he always had done, even in the dead of winter.

Percival chuckled and wrapped his arms around his petite wife, stroking her back. This elicited a soft “hmmm” from Merlin as she felt warmth streak down her back. “We can have a hot bath soon,” he promised, kissing the top of her head. She hummed and nuzzled into his neck. There was a knock at the door, and the rustling of paper.

Merlin frowned. “Who’s there?” she queried, too warm now to sit up and investigate the rustling. There was no sound except from footsteps leading away from their chambers. “Odd,” she muttered. Then again, odd things happened everyday in Camelot, it wasn’t like hearing the rustle of paper would be putting her life in any immediate danger. She decided not to worry about it.

“Don’t worry about it,” Percival yawned. “Warm enough yet?” His hands stilled on her back, warmth flowing from them into her skin. He checked quickly that none of their windows were open; that had been the cause for Merlin’s chill more than once.

“I’m warm,” Merlin murmured. “But I could be warmer.” She raised her eyebrows and smirked at her husband, letting her hand rest on his chest. He met her eyes and cocked one eyebrow. Merlin giggled and pushed the covers off both of them, goose bumps rising on their skin.

LINE BREAK

Percival helped Merlin to tug her top on; she had plumped for simple trousers and a shirt today. As he straightened the hem, she caught sight of a crinkled fragment of parchment on the floor. She frowned and questioned Percival, “How long ago was that knock on the door?”

Percival shrugged as he pulled his own shirt on. “About an hour, I suppose.” He stepped out from behind their dressing screen and threaded a hand through his short hair, and then a hand over his chin. He ought to shave, although he knew Merlin secretly liked when he didn’t.

Merlin scurried across the room and picked up the parchment. It explained the rustling noise, at least. “What does it say?” Percival asked her as she smoothed it out. His wife’s petite fingers trailed across the paper quickly, trying to make sense of the scrawl that Percival could just about comprehend.

“’Arthur in a right royal huff about something. Called an urgent council meeting now, come as soon as you’re dressed. Gwaine’.” Merlin groaned. “We’ve been an hour!” She detested making anyone angry or upset, and as much as she had to keep up appearances and pretend to hate Arthur, she was close to him really.

Percival snatched his belt from the table and headed towards the door even as he threaded it through the loops in his trousers. “We’d better get going then.”

LINE BREAK

“Where have you been?” Arthur growled as the two hurried into the Great Hall.

Merlin rolled her eyes as she jogged to her normal seat. “We woke up five minutes ago, Arthur, and found the note that Gwaine left us.” She shot daggers at Gwaine and settled back into her seat. She and Percival had agreed upon an excuse as they ran down to the meeting, and to them it seemed water-tight.

“I knocked,” Gwaine grinned, obviously not bothered by the hold-up in the meeting. His long hair was messily ruffled, either from sleep or from his hands running through it. Percival guessed the former.

“Not loud enough to wake us,” Percival countered, squeezing Merlin’s hand under the table. He could tell his wife was beleaguered now. He was loyal to his King, but foremost to his wife, and he would protect Merlin from anything whatsoever.

“Whatever you say,” Arthur snapped. Merlin tossed her hair from her eyes and stared at the king mulishly. She refused to let Arthur’s bad mood bring her down as well, so she plastered a smile onto her face (just to aggravate him).

Leon sensed a possible argument in the air and intercepted swiftly. “The Saxons have entered Camelot.” Merlin’s smile plunged from her face like Lucifer from Heaven and she seized Percival’s hand tightly, rubbing her thumb against his.

Percival clasped her hand in return, a silent “don’t worry”. “Have they acted so far?” he quizzed, knowing the answer already. If they had committed any offences, the atmosphere would be tenser by far, and Gwaine wouldn’t have slipped a note under the door; he would have barged in regardless of the occupants’ activity and started screaming blue murder.

Arthur shook his head quickly, his chin resting in his hand and his eyes stormy with worry. Leon stepped in for their distant king again. “Not yet, but we fear it is only a matter of time before they do. We cannot make any moves to remove them as they have shown no signs of hostile means, so we – unfortunately – have to wait until they make the first move to retaliate.”

“They could attack our citizens!” Merlin piped up indignantly. “We can’t let them be hurt! They’re innocent!” Leon nodded as if to agree with her, but before he could so much as open his mouth, Gwaine interjected with his Irish brogue.

“So what precisely do you plan on doing?” he asked the assembly at large, addressing everybody and nobody at the same time. He stared round as everyone fell silent. Gwaine was a doer, not a thinker.

“Well…” Leon began hesitantly. Gwaine had been awoken earlier than usual and could turn from cheerful to grumpy in less than a second. He knew he had to choose his words carefully. “As I said, we can take no action until they act, but we called this council meeting to set in place the boundaries and guidelines for what we will do to punish the Saxons if-” he placed extra stress on his next words, for Gwaine’s benefit mostly – “they attack us.”

Gwaine settled back in his chair unhappily. Everybody gathered knew that Gwaine was particularly angered by the Saxons, though nobody knew quite why it was them predominantly that irritated him so much. Merlin had made several guesses about the situation, most of them involving his father, but she was convinced that she would never know the reality.

“If they attack and kill one of our citizens,” Arthur began, sounding a lot more tranquil than he had before when chastising Merlin for the lateness. “I believe we have the grounds to attack their group and kill all.”

Everyone agreed with their king, “yes”s and nods all around the room. “And if they hurt our citizens? Or raid a village?” were Arthur’s next words. “We do not have grounds for an attack then, at least not to kill.”

“Find them and capture them,” Merlin suggested, “without killing them. Then exile them.”

Arthur nodded slowly, but Merlin could tell he was not convinced. “I will have to think about these ideas. They are good but all laws have their flaws. I suggest we convene tomorrow morning after we have all had time to think upon this matter.”

There was a murmur of general agreement as the chairs scraped back and everyone retreated, leaving Arthur and Guinevere alone in the Great Hall. Merlin sighed as she linked arms with Percival, letting him guide her through the twisted halls of the castle. Why did everything have to be so complicated?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5
> 
> Warning/s: None that I can think of?
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
> 
> A/N: I am back after my hiatus! Thank you to everyone who has stayed with me and been so understanding about the issues I've been having, I will be updating regularly now and I really hope you enjoy the story!

"You look worried," Merlin commented lightly, chewing on a hunk of bread. She wondered momentarily whether it was anything to do with the fact that she was currently devouring her fifth snack of the evening, and she set the bread down anxiously. "Am I gaining weight?" she blurted. "Is that it?"

Percival looked up with a frown on his features. "Of course not; whatever would make you think that?" he questioned. He took Merlin into his strong arms and squeezed her gently, mindful of their relative sizes. "And even if you did, why would I care?"

Merlin withdrew from his grip, looking a little cheered up. "You just look concerned and I was eating and…" she broke herself off abruptly.

"And?" Percival pressed.

"I was walking through the castle and I overheard some of the ladies of the court talking amongst themselves, saying how I was too skinny in all the wrong places and I didn't even have any beauty to redeem that."

"Not true," Percival swore. He stroked her hair back and motioned for her to come and sit at the table, taking the chair next to her. "Do you really want to know what I'm worrying about?"

"Of course I do," Merlin insisted. "Tell me."

"Don't fly off the handle at me, alright? I just want you to be…more careful, okay?"

"More careful?" Merlin said blankly. "Like yesterday when I fell down those stairs? Because I was perfectly alright and how was I supposed to know that they had just been washed and—"

"No – well, yes, I would like it if you stopped falling down stairs and over things – but what I meant was, try to be more careful when you go outside the walls of Camelot."

Merlin stared at her husband in confusion. Where had this suddenly come from? "I can handle myself," she said stiffly. "I am the most powerful warlock to walk on this earth."

"I know," Percival said, in what was probably meant to be a soothing, calming tone, but came off as more patronising, which grated on Merlin's already raw nerves.

Merlin backed away from him, her temper sparking unusually. "I'm not weak," she said stoutly.

Percival's eyes widened. "That's not what I'm saying," he said, somehow patient but hurried all at the same time.

"Yes it is!" Merlin cried in frustration. "I don't look strong and I can't fight with a sword and every so often I get overpowered because someone sneaks up behind me, but I am not weak!" Without waiting for her husband's reply, or even glancing at his expression, she turned on her heels and stormed from the room, angrily wiping away hot tears once she was out of their large chambers.

Luckily for her, it was raining heavily outside and since her room was located only a staircase away from one of the exits of the castle, there were absolutely no people in that area of the building, nor outside in the courtyard.

On a pure impulsive decision, Merlin kicked open the door that led outside and rushed out to sit on the stairs. The rain cooled her hot skin and soothed her rage, pelting down on her exposed skin and slicking down her hair. She was uncaring about the chill that it was forcing into her bones, or about the foolishness of choosing to sit in such a heavy spell, or even about how she couldn't feel her fingers properly now.

Her anger spread out to the atmosphere and soon the sky was electric with thunder and lightning. Her hair was sticking to her neck but it was soon whipped around when a ferocious wind began to howl around Camelot, picking up leaves and even a chicken.

Merlin caught the chicken deftly and stared at it for a while. "What am I doing?" she asked the chicken forlornly. "Percival was only trying to be kind, I'm sure." The chicken squawked, which Merlin took to mean 'carry on'. "It probably just came out wrong, and we're both so worried about the Saxons that neither of us are being very sensible with the other." The chicken flapped her wings in distress, but Merlin decided that this was clearly just another way of showing her concern and comfort for the situation and tried to ignore the wings flapping in her face. "I should probably go in and apologise."

Finally the chicken broke free, straightening out her feathers in a dignified manner and ran back to her coop, no doubt to complain about what she had just suffered at the hands of some crazy woman. Merlin sighed as the rain continued to pelt down. The thunder and lightning had not stopped entirely, but they were clearly less intense than before. Merlin allowed herself to ponder for several more seconds, until she decided that the back of her neck going numb was decidedly not a good sign.

She was completely soaked through and shivering now, so she gave into her pride and headed back towards the exit, pretending that the angry tears she was shedding still were actually just raindrops. She brought the doors open with magic this time, her limbs shaking and exhausted and heavy with the mass of her sudden clothes, and tramped back up the stairs. She left a trial of water behind her, not unlike the silvery slime that a snail leaves when it makes its slow journey, and hesitated outside her doors. She felt ridiculous for being too proud to even go into her own rooms, and raised her hand to knock.

Then she became angry at herself because who needed to knock to go inside her own rooms where she and her husband lived together? Nobody.

Merlin barged straight in, closing her eyes so she didn't immediately burst into tears again, and closed the door behind her. She heard a gasp and then felt a familiar warmth circling her body. She sighed and relaxed into Percival's solid, strong body.

"I'm sorry," Percival said almost immediately. "It came out wrong. I am just concerned because of these Saxons. They're brutal and they are so many of them that they could easily overwhelm a patrol of us, and I know you have your magic but…I just worry over you."

"I know," Merlin replied in a small voice. "I just got angry very quickly. I'm not sure why. I came back in to say sorry but you beat me to it." Percival kissed the top of her hair. "I went out to the courtyard," she admitted, "and I started a storm, just a little bit. And then I talked to a chicken and now I think I've cooled down."

"You talked to…well, as long as you're happier now," Percival said warmly. "I had a feeling you might have done something stupid, such as go out in the rain and get yourself absolutely soaking wet, so I sorted out a bath for you."

Merlin glanced underneath Percival's arm and smiled when she saw the tub full of steaming hot water. "You're too kind to me," she said wearily, picking a feather from her hair. Percival made no reply in words but chivvied her over to the bath tub gently, helping her to undo her sodden dress – no easy feat, considering it was sticking to her skin – and then lower her into the water slowly, letting her freezing skin adjust to the warmth gradually.

Once she had allowed herself all of the way in, she sighed in relief and dipped her hair under the water. "I will try to be more careful," she said genuinely. "I know I'm not that good at fighting with a sword and without my magic I'm basically useless, but—"

"Without your magic, you wouldn't be Emrys," Percival interrupted. "And seeing how as you are Emrys, and how Emrys is the most powerful sorceress in the world, I'd say your magic is quite impressive and shouldn't go unnoticed."

Merlin blushed. Any mention of how powerful she was always made her self-conscious, even though everyone in the Five Kingdoms knew it by now. "I won't go outside the walls of Camelot without at least you," she promised. "Not even to collect herbs for my magic."

"Good." Percival kissed her on the forehead and began playing with her hair. "Does this mean I'll be waking up even earlier than usual to help you gather your bloody herbs?"

Merlin grinned like a cat who had the cream. "Oh, yes," she said smugly. "And if I need to make any midnight runs, I'll be waking you up too."

Percival sighed. "Fine. As long as it keeps you safe."

"You're the best husband ever," Merlin said happily. "Which reminds me, I'll need to go out really early tomorrow morning. There's this herb I need to make a transformation spell and it only blooms at dawn for a few minutes."

"What are you transforming?"

"I'm going to turn one of our chairs into a pig," Merlin said matter-of-factly. "It's tricky, which is why I need the herbs."

Percival wasn't even phased any more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Leave me a review so I don't think I'm entirely terrible? Xxx


	6. Chapter 6

"Hurry up," Merlin laughed, holding her skirt up so she could run without tripping over herself. "We were meant to be there five minutes ago!"

"It's hardly our fault that Arthur summoned us last minute," Percival grumbled, running alongside Merlin. She was sure he could go a lot faster than she could and was grateful that he stayed alongside her. "Do you think we'll be the last ones there?"

"Nope, I saw Gwaine come out in his nightclothes when we were first setting out." Merlin snorted at the memory. "I don't think  _we're_  going to be the last ones there."

In fact, they were some of the first ones there. Arthur and Gwen were sitting in their places at the Round Table along with several others, including Sir Leon. But apart from them, only those whom Merlin liked to privately refer to as 'the non-Arthurians' were already seated.

Merlin shot a smug look at Percival as they sat down into the hard, ornate chair and sighed.

"What's this about?" she asked the King. Slyly, she slid a hand underneath the table and grabbed Percival's. He jumped a little but otherwise regained his composure, glancing at Merlin quizzically.

"A man has come to beg for an audience with us," Arthur replied, looking fairly sleep-deprived himself. "About what, I'm not sure. But apparently he is quite distraught, so I thought it important."

Merlin nodded, humming under her breath a little bit. She had to do something to alleviate the boredom, after all. She moved Percival's hand a little closer to her, resting it on her leg. He shot her a questioning glance but Merlin just smiled. He would figure out the game she was playing soon enough.

Gradually, more of the seats were beginning to fill up. Gwaine seemed to be more than a little drunk; Merlin amused herself for a few minutes, debating to herself whether he drank so much last night that he was still feeling the effects, or if he'd woken up this morning and decided to take a swig of ale. She moved Percival's hand up a little further and fidgeted to give the impression that she was just growing uncomfortable in this position.

Still, his glances were growing more and more suspicious. Merlin giggled and tried to smother it immediately, hoping nobody would ask her why she was shaking. "Morning, Elyan," she greeted as the final knight took his place. He nodded at her, obviously still tired, and Arthur stood up to begin the meeting.

"Round Table," he began. "We are gathered here to give audience to a man from an outlying village of Camelot. It is our duty to give him a fair hearing and ensure that we give him the justice he deserves."

Merlin leant down slightly under the guise of itching her leg, but swiftly and silently pulled her dress up to her knees. Percival sent her a clear look that said, 'I know exactly what you're doing and you definitely need to stop', and Merlin grinned to herself, placing Percival's hand on the bare skin of her knee. Percival knew full well that he couldn't jerk his hand away because that would attract too much attention, and he also knew that Merlin was very beautiful and he didn't really want to stop.

An old man, at least sixty by Merlin's count, hobbled into the room helped by the guards. "I hate to bother you, Sires," he wheezed.

"It is no bother at all," Gwen said sweetly. "Whatever we can do to help."

"Thank you," the old man said. He shifted nervously. "The Saxons," he began hoarsely, his eyes brimming with tears. "They came to our village and – and – they took my daughter." The tears brimmed over. "I just want her back. I know it is a small request but – I miss her far too much. It is unbearable."

Arthur nodded slowly. "Nothing is too small when it is such a personal matter." Merlin felt bad for carrying on this game when this old man was so seriously distraught, but if she stopped, then it would be as good as her losing. So she inched his hand up a little more, biting her lip.

"What village are you from?" Leon questioned, always the diplomat.

"Helrin," the man said, his voice hoarse. "Two hours north from here, if you go by horseback. On the outskirts of the kingdom."

Nodding, Arthur announced, "We will set out in an hour. We can start in the village and then spread out from there." He stood up to look at the man. "We will return your daughter to you."

* * *

"Are you ready?" Merlin called, grabbing her staff. She didn't necessarily need the Sidhe staff for anything, but she liked to carry it around with her to look impressive. Percival called her a show-off for it.

"You're not coming with us," Percival said firmly, setting out from behind the screen with his chainmail now fully on.

"You said you were fine with me coming out if I wasn't alone!" Merlin protested, nearly hitting herself in the face with her staff when she whirled around.

"I am," Percival said, doing up his sword belt. "But with the threat of the Saxons still hanging over Camelot, I'd much rather you stayed here so I knew that the citadel was safe."

"There are plenty of knights left here," Merlin pointed out stubbornly. "I know I'm not a knight and a woman at that but-"

"Okay, look, Merlin, I couldn't bear to take you with me, okay?" Percival let out a deep exhale. "These Saxons, they kidnapped this girl and I think we both know why without having to say it out loud." A look of understanding dawned in her eyes. "You will be safer here, and for another thing, you are Emrys; the Saxons would love to have you as ransom."

Merlin was about to argue back, but then realised that she now had the perfect excuse to try out the new spell she had wanted to for ages, but had never had the chance because everyone had told her it was too dangerous. "I'll stay here," she said quietly. "I'll just…practice zapping things with my staff or something. I don't get to do that enough."

Percival looked at her suspiciously, but when she scowled at him, he chuckled. "I love you," he said, "and you know I'll come back from this, so don't even think about that. And if you want some things to zap then I have a pile of old clothes over there that don't fit anymore."

It was Merlin's turn to smile. "I love you too," she said softly. "You'd better be going. You have a damsel in distress, and I have clothes to eviscerate." That wasn't her original plan, but she could definitely factor destroying old shirts around turning the statue outside her room into a real person.

She stood and smiled and waited for Percival to leave their room, and then immediately rushed over to the window to watch him depart from the courtyard. It took him a few minutes to appear, and he walked briskly to his horse and mounted immediately. He exchanged a few words with the other knights, but kept glancing tersely up to the window.

Merlin opened the window and leaned out just a little, waving down to Gwaine, who had spotted the movement immediately. He nudged Percival and then all of the knights looked up, grinning when they saw Merlin. She didn't know why, but she always became oddly emotional around Percival. She was usually a closed book around everyone else, even now that one of her biggest secrets was out.

She watched as the group rode out, quickly progressing from a walk to a trot to a canter and closed the window again with a sigh. The Sidhe staff was discarded on the table, so she wandered over to it and stroked it.

"I wonder how powerful you really are," she murmured to it, picking it up and testing the weight of it. She didn't want to damage the castle, but…she could always fix it afterwards, right? With that in mind, Merlin concentrated and pointed it towards the window.

It shattered immediately, into far too many shards to even attempt an estimate at. She waved her hand and the window reappeared, all of the pieces coming together fluidly, and picked up the basket that Percival had told her about. She felt stupid for saying, "Zap!" out loud when she destroyed the shirts, but in a way it also made her giggle and forget a little of the sadness that she always felt when Percival went away for a bit, especially if it was on a mission of some sort.

Unfortunately for her, she got a little too enthusiastic with her zaps and set the table on fire. "Well, shit," she said exasperatedly. She should really put it out, but…effort. Maybe she'd get the statue to do it for her when she went to animate him.

 


	7. Chapter 7

Percival was bone-tired, and all he wanted to do was either sink into bed or into a bath. Preferably both (though not at the same time) and with Merlin at his side. He was glad when they finally approached the walls around the castle and urged his horse to go just a little faster. His reputation as being strong and silent came in handy at times like these ones, when he was too exhausted to properly contribute to the conversation.

"What the hell?" Arthur said, being the first one to catch sight of the courtyard. He had the girl they had rescued sitting in front of him, and even though she hadn't so much as smiled since they'd rescued her – understandable really – she giggled at the sight.

Percival chuckled as well when he came into the courtyard. All of the walls, from top to bottom, were covered in bright blue, purple, and red flowers, and the castle now had ivy sprouting from its turrets. "Looks like Merlin got a little bored," he commented, filled with affection for his wife and her peculiar habits.

Arthur huffed, but then admitted, "I suppose it does look quite nice."

The girl they had rescued slid from Arthur's horse and touched the flowers gently. "They're beautiful," she said so softly that nobody was quite sure if she'd actually said it or not.

Percival wondered whether the girl had worked out that they were from magic or not and likewise if anyone else had thought the same. "She's always had a way with flowers," he said, catching Arthur's eye.

Arthur nodded, guessing what Percival was doing. "She must have found some that were already grown," he agreed.

"Give Merlin my compliments," Leon said, admiring the colour around them.

"You can thank her yourself," Gwaine said slyly, nodding towards the entrance of the castle. Merlin was running down the steps, with her hair a mess and wearing trousers and a shirt, and came flying towards Percival. He dismounted quickly and caught her, spinning her around in a tight hug and ignoring the other knights' cat calls.

"I like you hair," Percival said teasingly, twisting a lock around one of his fingers.

Merlin shrugged. "A spell gone slightly wrong," she admitted with a brief smile, lowering her voice. "My magic went haywire – as you can probably tell –" she gestured to the flowers around them, "and I've had to make excuses for everything."

"It looks beautiful," Percival said truthfully. "We managed to retrieve the girl."

Merlin brightened. "Oh, great! Any men lost?"

"None at all," Percival grinned. It had been successful in a way they had not foreseen. "The Saxons were all asleep so it was easy to take them by surprise."

"Good," Merlin said happily. Then she turned to the King, "Arthur, Gwen is coming out in just a minute, she's currently getting dressed. She says she'll take care of the girl."

"Thank you, Merlin," Arthur said briskly. "Still not fond of dresses, I see?"

"You know me, Arthur." A squire came up to take Percival's horse so Merlin grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the castle, chattering about how she'd helped out the staff in the kitchen whilst they'd been gone. The group left behind looked on in amusement as the giant Percival was pulled around willingly by his petite wife.

Percival sank into the water with a relieved sigh. He always felt so grubby and dirty after patrols. Merlin was perched on the end of the bed, watching him with concern in her eyes. She was the one who had conjured up the bath for him, and the one who had insisted that he should prioritise his comfort over everything else.

"The Saxons," Percival said with a sigh. "They're taking over more land every day, and becoming more powerful. They're raiding villages, kidnapping young girls and women, killing anyone who stands up to them…they're getting out of hand."

Merlin bit her lip and fidgeted. "It can't be that bad, can it?" she asked uncertainly. "I mean…I know there are a lot of them, but I thought they weren't that skilled."

"They're getting more vicious and skilled," Percival said regretfully. "We can easily take them in a fight, but it's getting to be more like a real fight and less like target practice." He flicked a droplet of water at his wife teasingly, seeing the stress on her face. "Every time we cut one down, another one appears out of thin air." He sighed and shook his head. "I'm worried," he admitted.

"You should relax," Merlin insisted. "The Saxons aren't an imminent threat, and it doesn't do you any good to be so tense."

"How am I meant to relax?" Percival said fretfully. "Arthur himself is growing more and more concerned by the day. And even with your magic, I fear we will soon be outnumbered."

Merlin looked at her husband thoughtfully. "I'm sure I can handle it," she said lightly. "You forget that my magic is tied to the Earth, and if I really need to, I can literally break the ground."

Percival chuckled. "Fair enough," he said, deciding it was time to get out of the bath and get dressed in his nightclothes. Merlin watched him as he dried himself and then wandered over to the screen to gather his clothes.

"Don't bother," she said suddenly, jumping up. "We can get into nightclothes later."

Percival raised an eyebrow at his wife as she led him over to the bed. "You need to relax," she repeated.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 8
> 
> Warning/s:
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
> 
> A/N: This is kind of a filler chapter but I promise that it's necessary! I hope you are all enjoying this story. Also, I am sorry for this being up a little late but it's my brother's 10th birthday and I've been busy baking his cake and preparing the birthday tea we're having :D

 

"Another council meeting," Merlin grumbled, pulling the covers up further over her head. "Probably just Arthur wanting to tell us that he's replacing one of the bricks in the West Wall."

"Get up," Percival chided her, sitting on the edge of the bed. "It could be something important."

Merlin grumbled and burrowed deeper into the bed. "I'm tired," she moaned, and groped for her pillow. "Let me sleep."

"Up," Percival insisted, yanking the covers off. Merlin shivered in the cold rush of air and threw the pillow at her husband, scowling. "Come on."

Reluctantly, Merlin sat up and stretched. "I don't want to," she grumbled, but still rolled out of bed and headed to her wardrobe grumpily. "Can we go back to bed after the meeting?" she asked, pulling a dress out of the wardrobe and a hairbrush from the side.

"As long as there's nothing else to do," Percival agreed. Merlin smiled and pulled her nightgown over her head, throwing it in the general direction of the laundry basket, and stepping into the dress with a little difficulty. She was too clumsy to get dressed easily. Percival helped her to do up the back and she ran the brush through her unruly black locks, not bothering to do anything much. She was planning to let Arthur now just how annoyed she was at being disturbed.

It was only a brief walk from their chambers to the Main Hall, but Merlin made sure to drag her feet. In the end, Percival just picked her up and carried her, giggling and kicking lightly, until they reached the doors. He set her down so they could walk in and they discovered that they were the last to arrive. Merlin glared at Arthur and stormed over to her seat, sitting down heavily.

Arthur wasted no time in getting to the point. "The Saxons are moving towards Camelot," he announced bluntly. Merlin sat up a little, alarmed now. "I am raising an army to face them, but it would be unwise to send out men before we know what the Saxons are planning." He glanced at Gwen, who nodded in silent agreement. "Therefore we are preparing for a siege." There was a sharp intake of breath around the table. Sieges were not something to be taken lightly, but all had full trust in their king.

"I need my men to help me train the newer knights and prepare battle techniques," Arthur continued. "Guinevere has volunteered to round up servants and help to store food for the siege. Merlin, you do not have to help, but—"

"Say no more," Merlin interrupted, paying rapt attention to the king now. "I'm on it." Without waiting for his leave, she scraped her chair back and hurried from the Council chambers, heading down to the kitchens.

"Please listen," she called out once she reached the warm, aromatic kitchens. All heads turned to her. "We are preparing for a siege. The King has ordered all food to be stored and rationed. I will assist you, as will the Queen. Please begin preparations immediately."

There was a pause and then bustle as everyone began yelling at each other and hurrying around. Merlin herself headed to the great cupboards and started to arrange the food by how long it would last; jars of honey went to the back, meat and bread came to the front. She focused on her task so she could ignore how her hands were trembling; she knew that Percival would have to fight against the Saxons, as one of Camelot's best warriors, but she always feared for his safety despite his skill.

There was no way that he would let her come out with him; even if he could find a feasible excuse for why Merlin was out with him, he insisted that her magic was not enough. Her reflexes were too slow, he kept telling her, but Merlin thought that really he just wanted to know that she was safe for comfort of mind.

She went along with it, but she wasn't happy about it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 9
> 
> Warning/s: none that I can think of but I'm slightly delirious so 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
> 
> A/N: I had a dream last night that my pug had become a serial killer and I had to testify against her in court

"Merlin."

She refused to turn around. Turning around would mean seeing her husband standing there, in his armour, and that would mean that he would have to go to fight.

It had been two days of frantic stocking for Merlin, and frantic training for Percival. Now the Saxons had arrived and as Arthur had predicted, the Saxons were lying siege to the citadel, and all of Camelot's knights were needed.

"Merlin," Percival repeated. This time, Merlin turned around. She saw him in all of his armour, apart from his hauberk. "I will be coming back."

Merlin smiled weakly. "Didn't doubt it," she whispered, and moved forwards to help him with the hauberk. "Just…don't do anything stupid."

"That's your job," Percival said in an almost scolding tone. "Promise me that you won't leave the castle."

"I won't leave the castle," Merlin promised. Any spells she needed to cast could easily be done from her room. "Not until you're back."

"Good." Percival gathered her in a strong hug once she had finished slipping on his armour, squeezing her tightly. "I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you."

"I know," Merlin murmured. "Because I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you." She stepped back and swallowed her tears. She picked up Percival's sword and muttered something under her breath, and her eyes flashed gold.

"What did you do?"

"It'll just let me know if you're in trouble," Merlin said softly. "I can't do much else with it. But if you end up in trouble I'll know and be able to do something."

"Merlin," Percival said warningly. "No leaving the castle."

"I don't need to. I can do it from inside." Merlin sniffed. "Don't get yourself killed."

"I'll try not to," Percival tilted her head up, placing his fingers underneath her chin. "Love you." He pressed his lips to hers in a brief kiss.

"Love you too," Merlin whispered. She walked with Percival to the doors of their chambers and caught his arm. "I mean it. Don't die."

"I won't." They exchanged a small smile, one that spoke volumes of understanding and love, and Percival left.

As soon as he was out of her sight, Merlin felt a slight tingling in her chest. The spell on her sword was beginning to kick in. He was safe for now, so there would just be a soft prickling. If he was put into any type of danger, though, such as facing too many enemies or mortally wounded, the prickling would increase to a burning, and the image of him would suddenly rush into her mind, allowing her to save him.

Absent-mindedly, Merlin lit a small fire in her hand and let it grow and grow, until it was threatening to set fire to the curtain hanging above her, just licking at its tassels. For a moment, Merlin considered letting it, and then putting it out again, but her emotions could easily mean that she wouldn't be able to control her, and then her promise to Percival to stay safe would have flown out of the window.

Reluctantly, she allowed the flames in her hand to die down a little and then extinguished them completely. There were better, more productive things to die with her time, such as researching possible spells that she could use to help those both in battle and in the castle, or even just polishing swords for anyone who needed a spare.

Merlin decided to do the former, and lifted up one of the spare floorboards to reveal her book of spells. Healing spells would be a good idea for a battle, as would protection. If the Saxons somehow managed to get through to the castle, the innocent civilians would die and all hope would be lost. She had better get learning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: this is so shit i'm terrible at writing wooo


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 10
> 
> Warning/s: None
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
> 
> A/N: I went out today to celebrate getting my GCSE results and my eyeliner was on point like my wings were amazing

Fires had been started, by which side Merlin couldn't say. They lit up the ground where the men were fighting like beacons, making it all the more possible for her to see what was happening. With the help of some of her magic, she was able to hone in on what was happening. She had limited knowledge of wars but it seemed to her that the Saxons were winning, at least by how far forward they had pressed. Another few metres and they would easily be able to overwhelm the citadel.

Merlin bit her lip. She could tell that the Camelot knights were heavily outnumbered and it would be disastrous if they won. All of the innocent people of Camelot had been escorted into the castle grounds to protect them, and Merlin was determined not to let them suffer in anyway. She could see them permanently from her window, sleeping in the stables and courtyard for the castle's great hall was being reserved to heal the wounded.

Merlin had been down there previously, helping Gaius to heal the wounded, but he had a new apprentice now who had far greater skill than Merlin, and Gwen had joined in as well, and Merlin felt she was more of a hindrance than a help with her clumsy hands and mediocre skill. So she had retired to her room quietly and was now watching the battle from afar, hoping that she would be able to use her magic from a longer distance than usual if needs be.

She had not yet found Percival amongst the fighting mass but she knew that her magic would tell her if he was wounded or even overwhelmed. He was fine for the time being, at least physically, which set Merlin's heart at rest. Her next priority was Arthur, and to her relief the King was uninjured and fighting ferociously.

She stood at the ready though, her hands twitching from the lack of action and her stomach twisting even as she fought against the nerves. She was so intently focused on what was happening out of the citadel that she barely registered a loud crash, and then a thud that followed only a few moments after. In fact, she only came back to her senses when she heard a myriad of screams along the corridor outside of her room, and she hurried to the doors.

Opening them, she saw guards ushering people along the corridor, panicked looks on their faces. "What's happened?" Merlin asked in astonishment. Some of the people had plaster dusting their shoulders and hair, others had minor injuries.

"Some of the Saxons came over the wall," one of the guards grunted back at her. "Blew the top of it and it all came crashing into the castle. Few people were in the way, got hit. The rubble is holding them back for now." Merlin nodded and pushed past the people. She understood what the guard meant; the damage would be blocking the Saxons path for as long as it took to escort the citizens to safety, but not for much longer after that.

She managed to slip away unnoticed, which made her job a lot easier. Rounding the corner, she came across a small puppy that was lying on its side. Merlin frowned and knelt down to investigate; it whimpered when she touched its side gently, and her hand came away bloody. Merlin ripped off her scarf and wrapped it around the puppy's side, cooing at the creature a little. It was a beautiful golden colour, and its hair was slightly curly. Merlin hated seeing animals in pain. Once she was satisfied she had stopped the bleeding, she muttered two spells under her breath; one for healing and pain, and one to transport the puppy back to her chambers. She would be able to take care of her properly later.

With the puppy dealt with, Merlin hurried along to where the wall had been thrown in. She narrowed her eyes when she saw the mess; one of the Saxons at least had magic. This couldn't be done with any siege weapon. Now she had several options: get rid of the Saxons and repair the walls; get rid of the Saxons and somehow make the damage look better; or get rid of the Saxons and leave the wall in disarray, meaning that they could get back in again.

She decided against the first immediately; too many people had seen the damage first-hand. The second was tempting, just so the clean-up crew had less work to do and the castle could be repaired easier, but the third had the advantage of keeping the Saxons out.

In a split second, Merlin made her decision. She threw up her hand and blew back the chunks of wall with a fierce wind. The hole was cleared immediately and the Saxons gave a roar, seemingly not caring how this had happened. Merlin's anger fuelled her next spell; she didn't think of words, just acted instinctively, and the Saxons were thrown backwards with the sections of wall.

Then, not wasting any time, Merlin threw up a protective ward all around the castle walls, to ensure that this couldn't happen again. She felt weak from the powerful spell and staggered a little, holding onto the wall. She took in several deep breaths to regain her balance and began to make her way back to her room, where she could keep watch again to make sure that her ward didn't fail.

She barely had the strength to swing open the oaken doors, and once inside her chambers she collapsed, closing her eyes. She had severely underestimated how much strength it would take to cast this spell. Suddenly there was a dampness on her cheek; her eyes fluttered open and she laughed weakly when she saw the puppy licking her face urgently, trying to get her to wake up.

"I'm alright," she reassured, stroking the small creature, and used all of her strength to stand up, the door propping her up. She scooped up the puppy and cuddled her against her chest, stumbling over to the bed and flopping down on it.

"I must stay awake," Merlin told herself sternly, even as she found herself yawning. Her magic buzzed underneath her skin, making her feel even weaker, and Merlin found herself slowly slipping into a deep slumber, still holding the puppy to her torso.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 11
> 
> Warning/s: None
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
> 
> A/N: I'm on holiday right now in Norfolk and even though I specially selected a place with WiFi it is terrible and it takes about five minutes to even load the AO3 home page. I'm so annoyed

Having deduced that the puppy was female, Merlin had called her Catherine, and had decided that she now had a dog. She just hoped that Percival wasn't allergic to hair – Catherine seemed to malt quite a lot, but she couldn't bear to give her up now.

She had given some of her rations to Catherine, eating by the window so she could make sure that nobody got into Camelot. The tides seemed to turn after a day or so, with a large number of the Saxons dead, and Camelot becoming more likely to win with each passing hour.

By the second day, Merlin was exhausted and confident that Camelot was going to win. She couldn't afford to fall asleep though, in case Percival was injured at the last moment and she wasn't able to help him. She was covered in sweat and grime, her hair was becoming greasy and unkempt, and she had a pounding headache.

She couldn't fall asleep though. Every time her head began nodding, Merlin forced her neck to stay upright and splashed a little cold water on her face. Occasionally, she would take a break to teach Catherine her name or play fetch with her.

She was having one of those breaks when the door opened and a very surprised guard was met with a hard, leather ball that Merlin had found lying around. "Oh!" Merlin said in surprise. "I'm sorry."

"Quite alright, m'lady," the guard said, giving the ball to Catherine, who scampered back to Merlin immediately. "I have come to inform you that the Saxons have surrendered."

Merlin perked up despite her lack of sleep. "Wonderful!" she gasped. "Are the knights returning?"

The guard nodded his confirmation. "I believe Sir Percival is headed here right now." He bowed to her and left. Merlin slumped back against the bed. Percival was returning, after the constant worry she had faced for those forty-eight hours.

"He's coming back!" she exclaimed to Catherine, who cocked her head to the side with her ears pricked up. Merlin had used the small remainder of her magic left to heal Catherine completely, and she looked as healthy as anything now.

Merlin staggered to her feet and picked Catherine up, and laid down on the bed. She wished she could greet Percival properly, but she wouldn't be of any use whatsoever if she had collapsed or fallen asleep. Catherine sniffed at Percival's pillow in interest before settling down on it, curling her long tail underneath her body.

A few minutes passed before the door swung open, and a very dishevelled and tired Percival entered their chambers. His armour was splattered with other people's blood and he seemed just as exhausted as Merlin but his face lit up when he saw his wife.

"Percival!" Merlin cried happily, trying and failing to sit up. Her arms had stopped working now that she had finally settled down to sleep.

"I missed you," Percival murmured, sitting down on the edge of the bed and scooping Merlin up gently. "I thought you might have done something stupid."

"Of course I wouldn't," Merlin protested, leaning her cheek against Percival's. "Unless…does adopting a puppy count as something stupid?"

Percival blinked at her. "What?" Then he caught sight of Catherine, sleeping peacefully on his pillow. He sighed and pressed a kiss to his wife's forehead. "He or she?"

"She. Catherine."

"Not stupid," Percival said finally. "Very Merlin, though."

"Well," Merlin murmured, and then forgot what she was going to say as she burst into tears.

"What's wrong?" Percival asked in alarm, sitting her up in his lap and stroking her hair.

"I was worried you might be dead or hurt and I'm so tired and I love you," Merlin sobbed, confused as to why she was crying in the first place.

Percival kissed her forehead again, chuckling a little. "I think you're so tired that you're hysterical," he said gently. "Maybe you should go to sleep for a bit."

Merlin shook her head with a valiant effort. "Not yet. Is Arthur okay?" She unsuccessfully attempted to stifle the yawn at the end of her sentence.

"He's fine, got a couple of broken ribs but nothing else," Percival reassured. "It took a while but we got rid of the Saxons in the end."

Merlin nodded thoughtfully. "I was watching out of the window," she admitted. "I was worried at first. But I made sure you were alright."

"I know," Percival said, setting Merlin back down on the bed. "How about you introduce me to Catherine, then?"

Merlin grinned eagerly and picked up the puppy, waking her up. "Catherine, this is Percival," she whispered, kissing the puppy's head. "Here." She handed Catherine over to her husband, who cupped her in his hands easily and carefully, smiling at her.

"She's lovely," he said, stroking her delicately.

"So we can keep her?" Merlin asked hopefully, smiling. She had grown very attached to Catherine in a very short space of time.

"Of course," Percival said without hesitation. "Now, I think you should get some sleep."

Merlin shook her head again. "A bath," she said stoutly. "I need you, you need one, so let's have one and then go to sleep."

Percival sighed, knowing that his wife had dug her heels in firmly and there was no use arguing with her now. "Fine," he agreed reluctantly, setting Catherine down on the bed again and helping Merlin to her feet.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 12
> 
> Warning/s: None
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
> 
> A/N: Last chapter :)

Merlin was able to summon up a bath within seconds using her magic, which had rushed back to her full-force now that she could take down the protective wards. She didn't feel any less tired from it unfortunately, just a little less light-headed.

Her fingers fumbled with his armour but after a few minutes, the chainmail and plate were on the floor, along with Merlin's dress. The two of them settled into the bath, Merlin leaning against Percival tiredly as she related what she had been doing.

"No wonder you're exhausted," Percival said softly, pouring the hot water over Merlin's arms. "That sounds like powerful magic."

Merlin nodded tiredly. "It is," she yawned. "I'll probably sleep for a week now."

"Not if I have anything to do with it," Percival replied, with a hint of innuendo in his voice.

Merlin giggled and let her eyes close for the first time for two days. Distantly, she felt herself being lifted from the tub and dried gently, and then soft material against her skin and lying against something soft. "Thank you," she muttered softly when she felt Percival sink into bed next to her, curling into his side. Catherine settled herself down by her legs, snoring gently.

* * *

_Percival was lying face down on the battlefield, a bloody knife protruding from his back. Around him the battle raged and more men fell, but all Merlin could focus on was her dead husband._

Merlin disturbed Catherine when she awoke and jumped from the bed, stumbling over to the window to suck in deep breaths of cool night air. She told herself that it was just a nightmare, and she knew that it was, but the image had seemed far too realistic for her liking.

She felt warm hands on her shoulders, and a chin came to rest on her head. She reached back with her arms to find Percival and continued staring out into the night. "Nightmare," she explained.

"Only natural," Percival mused. "Especially considering you haven't slept for a while."

Merlin nodded and turned around, collapsing in his arms. "Love you," she mumbled, barely legibly with her head buried in his chest.

"Love you t—" Percival was interrupted by a loud crash from outside. The couple jumped and peered outside to see what had caused the bang. For a second, they could see nothing, but then Merlin's heart leapt into her throat when she saw the main doors to the castle blown off their hinges, and the guards around all lying motionless.

"Who's that?" Percival's keen eyes spotted a shadowy figure stalking across the courtyard, and he pointed it out to Merlin.

"I don't know," Merlin said, with a sinking feeling of dread.


End file.
